Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour
Description
Visit Alaska's largest road accessible glacier and explore blue glacial ice on this wonderful full day tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, located 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska Valley. It is the ninth-largest city in Alaska, and hosts the annual Alaska State Fair.
The Matanuska River is a 75-mile (121 km) long river in Southcentral Alaska, flowing through a broad valley south of the Alaska Range known as the Matanuska Valley.
At 27 miles long and 4 miles wide it is Alaska's largest glacier accessible by road. It also is boasts one of the most accessible areas to walk on of any glacier in Alaska. Marvel at ice that formed 10,000 years ago high in the Chugach Mountains. Your day will start with a magnificent scenic drive along the Glenn Highway with stunning mountain vistas and plenty of time for photo stops. Next we will drive to the toe of the glacier to dawn our ice cleats and helmets to and begin exploring the glacier by foot. Each day is unique due to the dynamic nature of the glacier. We generally spend two hours and walk three miles on the ice. Finally, we will stop for lunch at a local eatery with stunning views of the glacier. This is a once in a lifetime bucket list opportunity to explore glacial ice!
Glacier View is a village along the Glenn Highway which is home to the Matanuska Glacier.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- What to Bring:
- Warm Layered Clothing
- Sunglasses
- Camera or Cell Phone Camera
- Warm Hat and Gloves
- We require that participants wear sturdy, stiff-soled footwear while on this tour
- Our minimum age to join the tour is 8 years old. For groups with younger individuals, explore our Private Matanuska Glacier option.
- PLEASE NOTE: Bookings made within 24-hours of the tour date are PENDING confirmation
Reviews(70)
Absolutely amazing. Jay and Tessa are the best! Jay is so knowledgeable and so kind to share so much knowledge with us about Alaska. The glacier is beautiful and incredible. The hike is exceeding expectations, like a real adventure instead of those well established trails. Definitely recommend to anyone who’s visiting Alaska.
Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful review of our Matanuska Glacier Tour! We're thrilled to hear that Jay and Tessa made such a lasting impression — Jay's passion for Alaska and genuine love of sharing its history and landscapes with guests really does shine through, and Tessa is a fantastic addition to the team as well. We especially love that the hike felt like a real adventure rather than just another trail — that's exactly the experience we want every guest to have out on the glacier! Matanuska truly is something special, and it means so much to know it exceeded your expectations. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to Jay and Tessa! Thank you for recommending Greatland Adventures, and we hope to see you back in Alaska for another unforgettable adventure soon!
Such a great experience and SO worth the money! JJ and Ben were excellent guides and made the car ride pass so quickly. They were both also so knowledgeable about the glacier and Alaska in general and kept us super safe on the glacier. They also provided great snacks and made a reservation at the restaurant for us. Our tour purchase also covered our meal + a drink which was great. 10/10 would recommend this tour especially with JJ and Ben!! Just a note if you don’t have hiking boots you should definitely rent them, lots of places in Anchorage do so!
Thanks for the 10/10 review! We are so happy to hear that JJ and Ben took such great care of you on and off the glacier. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the included meal and the entire experience. We will definitely pass your shout-out along to the guides, and we appreciate you sharing the helpful tip about renting hiking boots in Anchorage. Happy travels!
Great tour with Matt and Sammy. Would definitely recommend! We had so much fun hiking the glacier.
Thank you so much for the great review! We're so glad you had such a fun time hiking the glacier with Matt and Sammy — they'll be thrilled to hear it! Exploring Matanuska Glacier on foot is such a special experience, and it's wonderful that they helped make it such an enjoyable one for you. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to see you back in Alaska for another adventure with Greatland Adventures soon!
This was a great adventure! The guide was super friendly and knowledgeable! Bill was great! 100% recommend.
Thank you for your review of our Matanuska Glacier Tour! We're so glad you had the best day with Bill! Happy Travels!
This was our first visit to Alaska, and this tour was the perfect way to start our trip. We had arrived in Anchorage from New York the night before, getting to our hotel well after 10 PM. Despite the early pickup, our guide Bill arrived right on time and even texted us to let us know he was waiting in the lobby. The drive to Matanuska Glacier took about two hours, with beautiful scenery along the way. Once we arrived, we put on our crampons and headed out onto the glacier. Walking on the ice and experiencing the incredible landscape of snow, ice, and meltwater up close was truly unforgettable. Our group consisted of only six people, which felt like the perfect size. Bill was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer questions about the glacier and the surrounding area. One memorable moment was drinking some of the pure glacier meltwater flowing through the ice—a unique experience I wouldn't have wanted to miss. We spent approximately 2 to 2.5 hours hiking on the glacier, exploring its fascinating features and taking in the stunning views. Afterward, we had lunch at the Long Rifle Lodge. I highly recommend the Grilled Salmon Burger - it was excellent. Overall, this was a fantastic experience and one of the highlights of our Alaska trip. If you're looking for an unforgettable way to experience Matanuska Glacier, I highly recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and heartfelt review of our Matanuska Glacier Tour! What a wonderful way to kick off your first trip to Alaska. We're so glad Bill made that early pickup feel effortless — even after a late arrival from New York — with that on-time, thoughtful touch of texting ahead. That's exactly the kind of care we want every guest to experience. It sounds like the glacier itself delivered in every way — from the scenic two-hour drive, to strapping on crampons and walking across that incredible landscape of ice, snow, and meltwater. Drinking straight from the glacier is such a special moment, and we love that your small group of six made the experience feel personal and unhurried. Bill's knowledge and friendliness really shine through in your story, and we'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him! And we couldn't agree more about the Grilled Salmon Burger at Long Rifle Lodge — the perfect way to cap off a glacier hike! Thank you for such a thorough and glowing recommendation. We're honored this was a highlight of your Alaska trip, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure with Greatland Adventures!
My husband, 12 year old son, and I spent our first day in Alaska going to the Matanuska glacier with Matt and JJ from Greatland. They picked us up promptly at 8, and we headed towards the glacier. They were awesome guys and gave a ton of insight about the Anchorage area and Alaska in general. When we got to the glacier, they navigated the process for us and gave us our gear. The tour was awesome and just the three of us. The guys showed us a lot of different features on the glacier and took pictures of us. They were awesome with my son as well. Lunch was at a local eatery with a glacier view. Good was great, and we all chatted while we ate. The way back was much of the same…pointing out things, answering our questions, and just being a generally fantastic cook experience. I would highly recommend Greatland Adventures, based on this experience. The glacier was like being on another planet, and the tour was personalized it made the experience that much more amazing! Highly highly recommend!
Wow, thank you so much for this incredible review! We are absolutely thrilled that your family’s first day in Alaska was spent with us at the Matanuska Glacier. Matt and JJ are indeed a phenomenal duo, and I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to them—they’ll be delighted to hear they made such a great impression on your son! We love showing off the beauty of the glacier and providing that personalized, unhurried experience. It sounds like you had the perfect day, from exploring the ice to enjoying that great local lunch view. Thank you for choosing our Matanuska Glacier to kick off your Alaskan vacation. We hope to welcome your family back for more adventures in the future!
Excellent experience exploring the glacier. Lots of time on the ice, crossing crevasses and drinking straight from the meltwater
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you enjoyed your time exploring the Matanuska Glacier and getting plenty of time out on the ice. Drinking fresh glacier meltwater definitely makes for a unique and unforgettable adventure. We hope to see you again for more Alaskan adventures!
Great tour, very knowledgeable guide, and an amazing lunch afterwards that leaves you speechless with the view of the glacier that u just hiked thru
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for our Matanuska Glacier Walk tour! Glad you had an awesome day. Hope you travel with Greatland Adventures again. Thank you!
Awesome experience! Picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel. It was a day of breathtaking sites!
Thank you for your reveiw of our Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour! Happy Travels
Went on the summer Matanuska glacier tour and had a great time! The tour guide, Phil, was awesome & very friendly. He knew so much about the glacier. I also really appreciated the complimentary transportation from Anchorage!
Thank you so much of your kind review of our Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour! We're so happy you had a great time with Phil! Thanks again and we hope yo adventure with you again in the future!
